Valley of Thorns
by Candid Ishida
Summary: Sequel to Everything I Own. Fifty years have passed since Kurama and Hiei's reunion, and both the Makai and Ningenkai are in chaos. When a disaster befalls the Makai, Kurama and Hiei begin a long journey to uncover the cause. YAOI Kurama x Hiei & OCs
1. Chapter 1

_::This story is a sequel to my fic titled __**Everything I Own**__. The events ahead take place in the year 2113, long after the events of Yu Yu Hakusho. If you haven't read __**Everything I Own**__, some elements of this first chapter may leave you confused, but to elaborate: Kurama's human body has been dead for about 50 years. Reborn once again as Youko Kurama, he is living with Hiei in his den known as the Valley of Thorns. Also, readers should note that this Kurama retains Shuuichi Minamino's personality, he is __NOT__ the original Youko Kurama. That said, this story will feature new characters, and many from the series. And now... please enjoy this fanfiction!:: _

In a wooded lowland known as the Valley of Thorns, seated in the far Western reaches of the Makai, sat a small demon, polishing his sword and staring up into the vibrant blue sky that spread out above him. He was perched on a grassy mound which concealed a burrow, not far beneath the earth, that was his home. He had risen not so long ago when the sun was already high overhead to find his lover had left at some time during his sleep. He now waited, quietly, though impatiently, for his companion's return.

Before long, the towering wall of thorns that surrounded the small valley parted, and a magnificent white beast stepped nimbly through the opening. The barrier closed quickly at his heels and the figure approached the burrow, his silky white tail swishing behind him.

"Where have you been?" Hiei said grouchily as he thrust his sword back into its sheath.

"I was catching breakfast," replied Kurama, dumping a half dozen freshly caught fish from a woven satchel into Hiei's lap. "I hope you don't mind scaling them, I'm very tired," he said, yawning and twitching his ear.

"Hn, why do you think that is? You kept me up all night..." said Hiei, staring down at the plump fish and anticipating how good they would taste once he sank his teeth into them.

"Yes, but it was very enjoyable, wasn't it?" Kurama replied with a smirk and ruffled Hiei's dark hair affectionately.

"It's dangerous to go out during the day..." Hiei said, warningly. Kurama could sense the concern masked in his words and smiled softly. "The price on the head of the great silver fox is nothing to be laughed at."

"I'm sure the bounty on your delectable hide is just as high," replied Kurama without concern, earning an angry leer. He then ducked through the opening Hiei sat above and entered their burrow, crawling into the mound of furs against the far wall that served as their bed. He slipped off his pants and shoes, the ends of his trailing tunic slipping gracefully across his long legs as he stretched and made himself comfortable.

"You're going back to sleep?" Hiei said, poking his head through the earthen portal.

"Wake me up when breakfast is ready, please," Kurama said in a voice muffled by a thick layer of fur, and ignored the penetrating glare Hiei was casting at him.

"I shouldn't save you any, stupid fox..." Hiei continued to mumble a selection of entirely un-witty insults concerning Kurama as he made his way to the fire pit and grabbed a knife to start scaling the fish.

Fifty years had passed since the death of Shuuichi Minamino and the rebirth of the spirit fox, Youko Kurama. It was here in the Valley of Thorns, his most cherished burrow, that Hiei had found him not long after his reincarnation. Just as he had upon their very first meeting, Kurama had saved Hiei's life, and the two soon reconciled their long estrangement and became lovers.

After living a decade in peaceful solitude, getting to know each other again, the pair became bored. And so, seeking fulfillment, Kurama had taken to teaching Hiei all of his old tricks in the art of thievery. Several years passed in this manner, and word soon spread of the duo of robbers who came by night, entering fortresses thought to be impenetrable and cleaning them of their valuables. Stories of the Untouchable Bandits, as they came to be called, traveled to the far reaches of the Makai, and before long Kurama and Hiei had become legends once again, though their identities remained shrouded in mystery.

Rumors flew between demons concerning the great fox who had been feared so long ago, and the former general of Mukuro, his constant companion during the days of the Three Kings' rein. Because Kurama and Hiei chose to remain hidden, however, these tales remained rumors and nothing more. Many hunters had sought them out, determined to dispel the secrecy surrounding the Untouchables and return with the tail of Youko Kurama, or the still living Jagan of Hiei the Swordsman. All had failed.

The two demons now lived comfortably in their burrow, Kurama reveling in his treasures, Hiei honing his skills, and both loving each other completely.

"There has been a lot of gossip circulating in the village, lately," Kurama said the next day.

"Interesting..." Hiei mumbled, though sounding entirely uninterested. He was not really listening, as he was focused on the pleasurable feeling of the fox's fingertips kneading against his scalp, washing his hair. The pair sat in a pool at the foot of a waterfall not far from their burrow, the only source of water that was within the thorny border of their valley.

"I hear another tournament is being held next year," he continued. Hiei's attention perked slightly at these words.

"So word of those tournaments has reached all the way to this territory?" mused Hiei. He recalled the last battle he had been a part of with a sort of longing.

Enki, winner of the first demon tournament, had ruled over the realm that had once been divided between the Three Kings for many years, and had stayed true to his word, continuing the tradition Yusuke had begun. Many tournaments had come and gone during those decades. The power shifted regularly between rulers, first to Hokushin, former general of Raizen, and then rotated for several years between Enki and his wife, Kokou. Mukuro and Hiei had competed together many times, but had never been able to win the final match, their overconfidence leading them to exhaust all their energy during earlier rounds. Yomi, who had vowed to regain his throne, had returned only once, and soon went into exile with his son Shura, presumably to rebuild his kingdom in some remote corner of the Makai.

The long standing tradition of the tournaments had gradually died out, however, and in recent years, conflict between the Makai and the world of humans had thrown the land into disarray.

"Chaos has led many demons to seek a new type of leader," Kurama explained as he worked his hands through Hiei's hair. "The Ningenkai is still thoroughly entrenched in their third world war, and the amount of demon hunters crossing the border has increased exponentially. Demons of Super S class rank are beginning to resurface, creatures far older than even myself, and much,_ much_ older than a child like you," he added, realizing Hiei was not paying attention.

"I am no child," he said lowly. "I've lived for nearly two hundred years, fox."

"Hardly," scoffed Kurama, kneading his knuckles against Hiei's skull a bit more forcefully.

"What difference do a few decades make, anyway?" he growled.

"You have yet to reach your one hundred fiftieth birthday and already you're having delusions of maturity," Kurama said, tsk-ing and shaking his head.

"Look, I'm not going to let you bathe me anymore if you don't be quiet," he snapped. All the kitsune's chattering was effectively ruining the enjoyment of his bath.

"I was not aware I needed your permission to do anything," said Kurama, smirking.

"Don't think you're in charge of what I do, Kurama..." he threatened.

In spite of causing him immense pain, and waiting nearly half a century to be reunited with the boy he had grown to love, Hiei had quickly returned to his irritable self after mating with Kurama. He regularly took the doting protection of the kitsune for granted, a sign of his immaturity and carelessness. Luckily, though, Kurama loved him enough to not be bothered by this selfishness, and was thoroughly aware of how devoted Hiei was to him deep down.

"I'm simply worried about you, Hiei," Kurama said, slipping his powerful arms around his lover's tiny waist. "The reemergence of these ancient monsters makes the Makai a dangerous place for demons like us."

"We're strong enough..." he mumbled, though in reality, he was quite unsure of the scope of a Super S class's power.

"Don't underestimate the strength of demons which have lived since our world's conception. Even at the height of their glory days, Mukuro and Yomi would have been no match for that sort of prehistoric darkness."

As he tried to imagine the destruction that could be caused by such a terrible being, Hiei suddenly did feel as though he were a child. His lifetime was a mere speck on the page of existence.

----

That night, Kurama and Hiei laid together, tangled in their furs and each others limbs. Hiei was nearly lost beneath the massive kitsune as he was kissed and nuzzled with urgent affection. Kurama's tail twitched and wagged excitedly until it caused the warm fur blanket to slide off his bare back and expose him to the night.

He looked up from the attention he was providing Hiei and gazed out the mouth of the burrow.

"Mm, it's very cold tonight..."

"Who cares about that?" Hiei murmured, tugging on Kurama's long hair and trying to pull their mouths back together.

"Let me close off the entrance," Kurama said, untangling Hiei from his hair and rising from the bed. He stood in the doorway for a moment, the breeze stinging his naked skin with an unusual coldness.

"Something feels strange," he said softly as he pulled the tanned hide that had been dangling down across the opening. He pinned it in place to block the wind before climbing back into bed with an annoyed looking Hiei.

"I could have kept you warm enough by myself..." he said, glaring. Kurama smirked and leaned back down to surround Hiei in his strong arms.

"I guess you're right."

Hiei gazed up expectantly and observed Kurama's face descending slowly towards his mouth. The kitsune pressed his lips firmly down and let his air supply join with Hiei's, breathing along with him. Hiei ran the tip of his tongue over Kurama's long fangs, shimmering white and much larger than his own.

Kurama pulled Hiei's small body closer, rolling them to the side and running his claws down the demon's sinewy back and along his thighs. Hiei shivered in response, nipping at the tips of the fox's furry ears. He kneaded his fingers deeply into Kurama's broad shoulders, clinging closely to him. Kisses and gentle licks were left all over Hiei's body, leaving him writhing sensually. He dragged his fingers down until they laced with the silver fur of Kurama's tail, his other hand rubbing firmly at the spot where the silky appendage met his body.

Kurama growled lowly with pleasure, closing his yellow eyes and biting playfully at his lover's neck and shoulder. Hiei could feel a distinct heat forming within the fluffy mountain of white between Kurama's legs. His tailbone being one of the most sensitive areas of his mate's body, Hiei enjoyed paying particular attention to this spot. Making the kitsune shiver in pleasure made him feel like he had some sort of control over the crafty fox, even if it was only temporary.

Hiei was inched onto his back once more, and Kurama hovered above him on all fours, his knees on either side of the demon's legs. His red eyes closed in complete relaxation as Kurama's tongue began running gently over his whole torso. He played carelessly with strands of the kitsune's shimmering tail and relished the feeling of Kurama's licks washing over his hot body. Every inch of his throat was tended to, and then his collar bone and shoulders. Kurama soon moved to Hiei's chest, bathing and prodding at each of his tan nipples until he shivered, his small arms being covered in goose bumps.

Kurama's ears were perked up in extreme concentration as he licked down Hiei's abdomen and let his tongue dip into the narrow bellybutton. Hiei squirmed lightly, being more tickled than aroused at this.

"Cut that out," he complained softly, tugging a bit on Kurama's tail to gain his attention. The fox smirked and kissed Hiei's stomach in apology.

"I couldn't help myself." He leaned down further, extending his rear end high into the air and swishing his tail as he continued to lick down Hiei's torso. He moved his eager tongue across the demon's bony hips, then down the center of his stomach, soaking the wispy trail of feathery black hair that lead gradually downward.

Hiei leaned his head against the plush furs, straining his back, trying to push himself in further as he felt Kurama's warm tongue caressing his forming arousal. His ruby eyes were half concealed by heavy lids and he breathed out deeply, staring up at the ceiling of the burrow. The strong wall he kept around his feelings and thoughts was completely broken at times like this; he simply panted in and out, handing himself over to Kurama.

The fox licked and sucked at Hiei until his excitement reached its peak, throbbing and aching for more. Kurama heard a low groan as he left his station, crawling back up over top of Hiei and smiling down at him, licking at his fangs and observing the tortured little form beneath him.

Hiei glowered upwards, his eyes narrowed.

"Why must you always stop in the middle like this, just to watch me..." he sighed, Kurama playfully nipping at the side of his neck and smirking.

"Seeing you so desperate is very arousing, I can't help it," he said, wagging his tail and positioning himself between Hiei's waiting legs.

The demon rested his feet on the back of Kurama's calves as his hips were lifted effortlessly up, allowing the kitsune access inside. Hiei held onto his lover, gripping at the long white hair and grunting quietly as he was penetrated. Kurama moved in, deeply and carefully, until the thick white fur that covered his groin was pressed up against Hiei's body.

Hiei sighed, all thoughts were gone from his mind as Kurama began sliding in and out steadily. His long arms were around Hiei's back, his claws digging into his skin. Whether this act was intentional or not, Hiei did not care, he knew Kurama, too, was losing himself in bliss. The kitsune nipped at his lover's ears, his thighs tensing with each swift motion.

Hiei was brought out of his pleasure induced stupor when Kurama's mouth touched his lips. He allowed his eyelids to part, looking up to see the fox's back arched uncomfortably to correct their difference in height and kiss him. Hiei smiled into the kiss, clinging to his mate and purring with gratitude and longing.

When their kiss was broken, Kurama began thrusting with more force, getting down to the business at hand. Hiei gasped with each pound of Kurama's body, feeling strong jabs of delight shooting up through his stomach. It was as though each wave of pleasure was directed into his arousal, causing it to pulsate more painfully, approaching climax with increasing speed.

Kurama's sweat dripped down onto his forehead; the kitsune's face was tensed and eager. Hiei reached down, wanting to pet Kurama's tail, but found he could not reach. He settled for massaging his back, stroking lightly the smooth white skin. Kurama let out a small groan, pushing inside Hiei at full speed now, causing steady gasps to escape the demon. His gentle massage was forgotten and he clutched at Kurama's body desperately, writhing. The pressure in his groin was almost unbearable and it suddenly exploded forth, covering Kurama's hard abdomen with a sticky wetness.

The kitsune whimpered and rammed up inside rapidly for the last few times before his climax reached him. He gasped, shuddering and collapsing on top of Hiei. He felt the hot demon nuzzling and kissing his chest.

Kurama shifted to the side, rubbing his face against the soft fur beneath him and settling into place. His fox's member remained swollen with lust, trapped within Hiei and unable to budge. Hiei had gotten used to this after many years of lovemaking with his mate, and they spent this time touching and kissing one another, rolling around together and remaining lost in their act of love.

"Nn, you're heavy..." Hiei groaned from beneath him. He shoved his hands up against Kurama's chest but found he was too spent to summon his youki and toss the massive fox aside.

Kurama giggled softly and rotated onto his side, pulling Hiei with him, as they were still attached. He smiled into the little demon's face, licking at the sweat on his cheeks and brow.

"You're not usually so grumpy at a time like this," Kurama commented, noticing the sleepy but annoyed look his partner wore.

"Hn... That strange wind you sensed before, I feel it too..." he said softly, playing with Kurama's waves of silver hair.

"Oh, I suppose I had forgotten," Kurama replied, yawning deeply and pulling the covers over them. He felt his softened member finally slip from Hiei's body, and he shifted in place, pulling the demon close and settling down for the night. He kissed at the slight blush that had not yet left Hiei's cheeks, sensing his sudden worry and wanting to calm him down.

"Try to go to sleep," he instructed, surrounding Hiei in his arms so there was no escape. "If anything happens, you know I'll be here to protect you."

"I don't need protection..." Hiei mumbled, his small hand sleepily touching Kurama's chest.

"Well, I'm here anyway," Kurama said softly, twitching his tail before sweeping it over his lover's body and leaving it there to rest. Hiei closed his eyes once the soft fur had been draped over him and found that his urge to lose consciousness was far stronger than his anxiety.

Kurama smiled while he watched his little companion fall asleep, his claws gently toying with the messy peaks of black hair. He relaxed against the heat of Hiei's body, allowing himself to close his eyes once he was sure the demon was sleeping.

The pair laid dreaming after this, but the chaotic world around them would never sleep. A world of demons does not rest.

----

The air inside the burrow was warm and still at that moment. Kurama's heavy arm was draped over Hiei's chest, moving rhythmically with the rise and fall of his breathing. His face and nose were buried into the furs, close to Hiei's neck, and his silver ears twitched now and then. Kurama was deep in the world of dreams, but was abruptly pulled away as Hiei shot up in bed, gasping loudly and knocking his arm to the side.

The fox opened one yellow eye and stared sleepily up at the rigid body beside him.

"What's the matter with you..." he mumbled groggily and without his usual eloquence.

Hiei shook his head, his whole body was trembling, his large eyes were opened wide with shock as he sat there.

"Something is wrong..." he said, shuddering. His voice was low and raspy, barely able to be heard. Kurama dragged himself from the comfort of the bed and managed to sit up.

"Hiei...?"

The demon suddenly flung the fur blanket aside and pulled on his pants and boots. He had torn away the hide serving as their door and bolted from the burrow before Kurama could even speak.

Hiei leapt through the wall of thorns nimbly. After living within it for fifty years, he had memorized all the weak points in the barrier, for otherwise, there would be no escape while Kurama was not home. The toes of his boots made contact with darkened branches for only seconds before jumping away. In moments he had bounded through the tree tops and was miles away from the valley, standing at the top of a jagged precipice. He shook, his mouth hanging open in disbelief.

Kurama soon joined him, fully dressed and panting, having run at full speed to catch up with his partner. He hunched over for a moment, regaining a normal rate of breathing before looking up and realizing, with horror, what had pulled Hiei from the burrow.

"I can't believe it..."

Their keen demon eyes stared far, far into the distance, hundreds of miles away. The pair was struck with silence as they observed the billowing dust clouds and frantic storms swirling along the horizon. A pile of rubble larger than a mountain interrupted the skyline which had, at this time yesterday, been a smooth sea of forests. The devastation was massive, almost unreal. The land surrounding the destruction was turning white before their eyes, pummeled with torrents of snow and ice.

Hiei fell to his knees, and Kurama was sure any other man would have broken down in tears at this horrific sight.

"The ice country..." he choked, his lip quivering in shock and his eyes still frozen wide open. Kurama stood at his side, his brow furrowed with deep concern as he stared.

"How could this have happened..." the fox whispered, more to himself than to Hiei. The calamity before them was unbelievable. The land of the Koorime, a frozen island which had floated above the rest of the Makai, isolated for thousands of years, had fallen from the sky. The glacial village where Hiei and his sister Yukina had been born over a century ago lay buried under a mountain of stone and ice, completely obliterated from existence.

"They're all dead," Hiei said lowly, finally able to blink after staring for what seemed like hours. Kurama wondered, at first, if Hiei found it fitting that the race who had vanquished him and left his infant self to die were now extinct. As a young man, he had once sworn to kill every last one of them. But, now, as Kurama gazed downward, he knew that this feeling no longer held true.

"Hiei..." the fox kneeled at his lover's side and went to touch him, but was batted away.

"We have to go!!" Hiei shouted, his face wild as he frantically shoved away Kurama's caring hands.

"Go, but... Hiei, there's nothing left..."

"My mother!" Kurama was interrupted and went silent. "Her..." Hiei stopped, looking back at the ruined island with his features twisted up and tortured. Kurama understood now. The thought of his mother's gentle and beautiful body, now crushed and broken beneath thousands of tons of debris was too much for him. All these years, he must have taken solace in the idea that his dead mother was sleeping peacefully beneath the ice, never to be disturbed by the race of cold women who had, as far as she knew, killed her son.

"We'll go," Kurama said. "We will find her and lay her to rest properly." He surrounded Hiei in his arms and was, this time, allowed to remain there. He shook, refusing to cry, but truly wanting to. The country of ice had always been a place to scorn. He directed his bitterness at the land that had turned him away, he had hated its existence, hated everyone who resided there. But, seeing it destroyed, knowing that the village in which he had come to be was now gone, somehow filled him with intense sadness. A part of him had been lost. And, worst of all, the thought that he and his sister, wherever she may be, were now the last of their kind made him feel more alone than he ever had simply being an outcast. There was not another like him in all of the Makai. Even in Kurama's powerful arms, he felt completely isolated.

----

The night wore on and became morning as the pair packed their things in preparation for a long journey. Hiei remained silent for many hours, polishing his sword repeatedly, packing and re-packing. Kurama had been quietly selecting an assortment of seeds and sorting them according to function, but all the while becoming apprehensive as he watched Hiei. His compassion had pushed aside his logic the night before, and he now realized how foolish his promise to Hiei had been.

It was very unlikely, perhaps impossible, that they would be able to recover Hina's corpse when the island had been so completely decimated. Hiei seemed so determined... Kurama could not bring himself to crush his hopes. He wondered if his lover knew how irrational his mission was, and cringed when he imagined Hiei's disappointment and grief upon their arrival.

"Hiei..." he said lowly. The small demon was once again polishing his sword. Kurama could not tell if he was waiting or merely distracted. "Have you thought about what kind of demon could have destroyed the Koorime island? It may not be wise to rush there..."

"It will take weeks to get there with you slowing me down," he mumbled. "By then, whoever caused it will be gone."

Kurama gave a shallow sigh. "You don't know that for sure." It would seem talking Hiei out of this quest was a lost cause.

"I will destroy _anyone_ in my path," he growled, raising his sword up and pointing it at Kurama's face, which remained unfazed. "Even you, so be quiet."

"I'd like to see you try and destroy me..." Kurama thought as he stared down the blade of Hiei's katana, but decided to keep the reply to himself. He reached his claws up and lowered the sword, staring into his partner's eyes.

"I just don't want you to make a mistake... that you may regret..."

"I don't have any regrets," he said, turning away again.

"Oh...?"

The fox rose from the floor of the burrow and leaned against Hiei's back, wrapping his arms snugly around his small shoulders.

"I don't want to be touched right now," Hiei murmured, halfheartedly shrugging him off.

"You always want to be touched by me," Kurama crooned, stroking the smooth, impish cheeks of the head beneath his chin. Hiei glared and snapped at Kurama's finger.

"All right, perhaps not always," he corrected, "But right now, you do... You may have the Jagan but I can always tell what you're thinking." He felt Hiei sinking into his chest, sulky and defeated, wanting comfort he did not know how to ask for.

"I know you feel the need to go to the island, but..." Kurama clutched his cherished lover closer to his chest, squeezing him. "I'm afraid. You may be bringing us to face something which we have no hope of defeating. I refuse to lose you, and I'm not ready to die again..." Kurama closed his eyes. He had already been given too many extra gos at life, he wondered how long his luck would protect him.

"Stop worrying so much... We're the Untouchable Bandits, remember? No one can catch us..."

"Please don't allow your confidence to be your downfall," Kurama whispered, kissing the top of Hiei's head before releasing him. It would seem there was no way to prevent Hiei from leaving for the island, and of course Kurama would not allow him to go alone.

Later in the day, when all their preparations had been made, the duo left their solitary home. Kurama strode around the perimeter of the thorn wall, sealing it up and adding extra wards and plants to protect the treasures that lay within. Once the task had been completed, he turned and stared at their valley one last time; Hiei had already started making his way into the forest. The fox sighed deeply, wondering how long it would be until they returned.

----

"Hiei!!" Kurama shouted as another chair went flying past his head and smashed to splinters against the dirty wall. Demons of all types scampered towards the exit, running for their lives, but were all incinerated before they could make an escape.

"Hiei!!" Kurama cried out again, trying to get closer to him, but having to dodge his burning attacks and losing his way in the smoke of charred bodies.

"HIEI! Stop it!" he screamed, shielding his eyes from the searing fire. At last, Hiei paused, standing hunched down and panting. His face was covered in soot and sweat, he was absolutely furious.

"Just shut up! I don't need you hen-pecking me right now!" he roared at Kurama.

"Hiei... you just killed over a dozen youkai, this isn't mere nagging!" Kurama said with exasperation, dusting ashes from his robes and kicking at a demolished chair beneath him.

Hiei glared, about to retort, when they heard a clatter from the corner and a tiny imp came tumbling out from behind the bar. Hiei growled and clenched his fist, but his thin wrist was snatched quickly by the nimble kitsune.

"You... You're Youko Kurama!" the small youkai cried in terror, scrambling up against the wall as if he could somehow fall through it and escape.

"No, I'm not..." Kurama said lowly, bending down close to the demon's cowering form. "And if you ever tell anyone otherwise, I will hunt you down, tear your intestines from your body, and feast upon them while you're still breathing..."

The imp froze, his eyes opened as wide as physically possible.

"Now get out of here," Kurama growled, pointing a long claw towards the half-destroyed door. The imp stumbled and raced away into the night and Kurama stood to his full height once again.

"Since when do you eat youkai..." Hiei mumbled, adjusting his clothes and sneering at Kurama with distaste.

"I would feed him to my plants of course, but I thought eating him up sounded scarier," replied Kurama, running his fingers through his long hair. He pulled his hood, which had been knocked from his head during the fight, back up over his face and stared accusingly down at Hiei.

"We'd best be out of here before the locals realize this bar is burning to the ground," Kurama advised. Hiei said nothing but followed at the fox's tail as he fled into the night. They escaped the village silently and found a shady inn near the border of the next town in which to spend the rest of the night.

By the time they had settled down in the small bed, there were only a few hours left until the dawn. Both lay awake, staring into the vanishing darkness.

"What you did tonight was uncalled for, Hiei," Kurama said as Hiei gazed towards the curtain shrouded window.

"They had no right to speak of the Koorime in that way," he hissed.

"The ice country falling from the sky is a huge event, demons are bound to be talking about it. You can't fault them for gossiping."

"They shouldn't have said what they did!" Hiei shouted, rolling over to glare darkly into Kurama's golden eyes. "How dare they!? My sister is not a 'frozen hearted bitch'!" he clenched his teeth, practically snarling at the fox beside him.

"Of course not.... But, Hiei, up until a few days ago, you hated the Koorime..."

"I AM Koorime!" he screamed, shoving Kurama's body away from him and sitting up in a rage. "Their blood is inside me whether I like it or not... How would you feel if every other kitsune was suddenly erased from existence!?"

"I haven't seen another like myself for hundreds of years, so I can't say I would feel anything about it one way or the other," Kurama said calmly.

"Liar..."

"Would I really lie to you?" he said, raising a bushy white eyebrow.

"_Yes._"

"All right," Kurama sat up in bed and leaned so they were nose to nose. "But, do you think I'm lying to you right now?"

Hiei's lip twitched as Kurama stared him down.

"Well, Hiei? You're the one with the evil eye..."

He could tell Kurama was outwitting him, as usual. He felt so defeated when the fox played this game, for no matter how Hiei tried to anticipate his behavior, Kurama was unreadable. Unless he willingly opened up his mind, the ancient youkai was impervious to the power of the Jagan. Currently, Kurama was closed off completely. There was nothing Hiei could do, he felt like a punished child.

"You know I can't tell..." he mumbled, glaring away.

"I know, and that is why you simply have to trust me," Kurama said, inching closer. He touched Hiei's face, dragging a claw softly across his cheek.

"Now, calm down, and come sleep with me. We have to cover a lot of ground in the morning."

Hiei nodded, and they both settled down into the cramped bed once more. It would have been the perfect size for Hiei... but was so small, Kurama's slender feet dangled off the bottom edge. He curled his toes up against the cold, trying to get comfortable, and as Hiei watched, he almost felt a laugh in his throat.

"What are you smirking about?" Kurama said, narrowing his eyes at Hiei slightly.

"Your ridiculously long legs hanging off the bed," he said, grinning maliciously. Kurama pulled his feet up, curling nearly into a ball to accommodate his tall figure.

"I wouldn't have had any problem in this bed as Shuuichi," he sighed, feeling Hiei's body heating up to warm him.

"You miss that weak body, don't you," Hiei mused. He could suddenly sense glimmers of Kurama's emotions, the fox had lost focus and opened up to him. Or perhaps, he was purposely allowing Hiei to read his thoughts.

"Quite often, I do... I was fragile as a human, but... I grew accustomed to living as one very easily. Plus..." Kurama paused, his eyes were focused somewhere on the ceiling. "Shuuichi had a certain modest beauty..."

"I think so too."

Kurama blinked and turned to face his lover once again. "Hiei..."

"I always thought you were beautiful... from the very first day I met you," he said bluntly.

"You were attacking me that day, if I remember..."

Hiei smirked, "That doesn't matter. You murder with flowers. Violence and beauty are the same thing, for someone like you..."

"I suppose you're right," Kurama said, and kissed the demon's lips daintily.

"You should know then," said Kurama as Hiei was settling into his arms, "That I thought the same of you. From that first time I brought you to my room, I fell in love with you."

"All that time," Hiei thought to himself, but stayed quietly snuggled against Kurama's body until he fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

"This isn't really on the way..." Hiei grumbled as he and Kurama hid within a dense mass of thorny bushes.

"Well, we're out of money, aren't we?" replied the fox, peering through the foliage at a thick-walled fortress before them. A heavy iron door blocked the entrance and small, shifty-eyed demons prowled about, keeping watch. Kurama crawled forward, creeping ever closer to the stone walls, his heavy white robes dragging on the ground.

"Wouldn't it be easier to steal food, rather than stealing money?" Hiei whispered, crouching within the shadows and staying close to Kurama.

"We may need more than just food, later on. Besides, I've been wanting to rob this stronghold for a long time."

"You mean you've never managed to get inside?" Hiei asked, somewhat surprised. He leaned against the base of a gnarled tree as Kurama's yellow eyes scanned the perimeter, searching for a way in.

"I've only gotten as far as the third wall, and I nearly lost my tail in the process."

"Hn, it's hard to imagine a fortress even the great Youko Kurama failed to penetrate." Hiei glanced over the row of bushes at the dreary structure. The stars twinkled brilliantly above, lighting up the entire wall and courtyard. He could see no apparent traps or defenses. Whatever guarded this place so well must have been carefully concealed.

"Why don't we just blow up the whole wall?"

"Are you insane?" Kurama said, glancing up at Hiei with narrowed eyes. "Scythe City is an utter den of scoundrels and villainy. We'd have a hundred demons on us within seconds, A class among them. And don't-" he raised his claw to point at Hiei disapprovingly, "-say you could handle it. The crime lords who reside here are ancient and crafty, killing one is no easy feat, especially when there are ninety-nine more to take his place."

"I still think I could handle it," Hiei mumbled, gazing at the entrance again, wondering what Kurama was studying so thoroughly.

"I think I've figured it out," he said, crawling close to Hiei's knees, making sure not to disturb the bushes which rustled steadily in the evening wind. "The youkai pacing in the courtyard aren't there to attack, they're merely lookouts, most likely trained to sense any abnormal youki. I'm fairly certain the missing block above the entryway contains the mechanism to lower the door, but unfortunately, I'm too big to fit inside."

"So basically, you're telling me I need to crawl inside the empty square and open the door... But won't that be a bit obvious?" Hiei said, peering into the dark space in the wall where one massive stone seemed to have been left out.

"Opening the door will catch them off guard long enough for us to climb over the adjacent wall and enter the second courtyard. After that I'm afraid we'll have to think as we go..." Kurama replied.

"You said you only made it to the third wall, what stopped you?" Hiei questioned.

"Poisoned daggers... I tripped a switch and was nearly struck from all sides."

"If you only _nearly_ got hit, how do you know they were poisoned?" Hiei said, blinking.

"I told you I almost lost my tail... The edge of a blade singed half my fur clean off," he said, nearly sulking as he stroked his long tail. "Luckily it grew back..."

"Tch, enough of your vanity, stupid fox. Let's just get in and out as quickly as possible," said Hiei, prowling gracefully around the roots and branches that surrounded them, ready to speed across the moonlit courtyard.

"Whatever you do, don't release any youki or they're sure to notice you. And, Hiei," Kurama added, clutching Hiei's wrist hastily.

"What now?"

"Be careful..." he tugged the demon close and kissed his small mouth, earning an annoyed glare from Hiei as he bounded away and was inside the stone wall within seconds.

"Hn, even after all these years he's still just like a human..." Hiei grumbled to himself as he inched his way through the narrow space. "That mother of his... I bet he never would have kissed someone good-bye before she came around..." In spite of his seeming annoyance, he paused and touched his lips affectionately, just as he came upon the gear to release the iron door. Hiei reached his tiny arm through a link in the heavy chain and pulled at the metal rod which pinned the gears in place. He had a split second to yank his arm free before the chains went whizzing past and he heard the giant door clanging to the ground.

Hiei darted from the cramped crawl space and spotted a flash of white race towards the side wall. He followed, knowing Kurama had made his move the moment the commotion surrounding the fallen door had commenced. Demons hustled towards the entryway, completely ignoring the shadow which blurred past them and rendezvoused with his partner inside the now abandoned inner courtyard.

"Now what?" Hiei asked as he ran alongside the massive fox, the two of them ducking into a dense shadow when more guards scrambled past.

"This way..." whispered Kurama's deep voice. He stepped carefully into a long hall that appeared at first to be entirely empty.

"There's something funny about the walls," Hiei noted, keeping his distance. Kurama nodded seriously before tugging off his outer cloak and tossing it into the hall. The white fabric billowed in the air, hanging there for a moment before being pierced with hundreds of tiny darts which flew from the ceiling. The fabric fell to the floor in a clump, Kurama examining it for a moment before giving Hiei the okay to follow him through.

They reached the third wall with ease, but here Kurama hesitated.

"The next passageway is where the daggers are hidden," he explained. "The triggers are hidden within smaller bricks in the floor, step only on the large bricks and we should be safe."

Hiei nodded with understanding as they entered the hall. It was long and narrow, with a high ceiling and dark, murky walls. On the floor before them expanded a complex pattern of stonework. Bricks of all different sizes were laid in a dizzying arrangement. Hiei observed Kurama's nimble feet and took care to only step were the fox had. The slender white shoes made their way slowly along the maze of bricks, pausing every now and then to confirm their path. Things proceeded without incident until Kurama reached a large stone with a series of cracks running down the middle. He stepped lightly and cautiously on the large stone, but found it to be safe and moved on. Hiei reached his leg out to follow in the fox's footsteps, but Kurama was suddenly stricken with horror as a tiny click met his sensitive ears.

Hiei's small foot had been just the right size to sink between the cracks and nudge a chunk of stone free. It shifted to the left before Hiei could step away, striking the trigger that butted up against it with one swift tap.

"HIEI GET DOWN!" Kurama screamed the second the trigger had been touched, but it was too late. The glimmering dagger had sprung from the wall and embedded itself directly into Hiei's upper arm. There was no time to think, Kurama snatched up his partner and sped towards the exit, a flurry of daggers shooting across the hall behind him. He bounded into the second courtyard with Hiei over his shoulder, a wave of guards who had finally come in from the outer hall racing to meet him.

Yanking out a rose, his whip sprang to life and snapped all around him. He spun swiftly, killing every demon in sight before racing out the still opened doorway and taking off into the forest.

----

Hiei's crimson eyes blinked against the light. He rose to find everything around him was white and frozen. It was as though he had fallen into an endless winter.

"The ice country...?" he said groggily, somehow forgetting his current destination was the remnants of that land which now lay destroyed.

"The ice country is gone, Hiei, did you forget?" said a gentle voice. He turned; a figure was emerging from the mist. Snow swirled around her, but he was not cold. He felt, in fact, quite warm... This person was safe and welcoming.

"Yukina?"

"I am not," she said, kneeling by his side. Her eyes were like his own, deep red, full of love, and something else... Sadness? Her milky white hand grazed over his bare arm. He looked to see the wound which should have been there was gone. He was whole and unharmed.

The small youkai gazed up into the woman's kind face and studied her. This was not his sister, but she felt familiar. She was very close to him...

"Mother..."

He felt his eyes closing in rapture as he leaned against her body. Delicate arms enveloped him. He wanted to immerse himself in her embrace forever.

"Have I died?" he whispered. This thought should have frightened him, but it did not. He found he did not care at all, memories of Kurama were far away.

"You're not dead, my precious child. Your time is a long way off," she said, stroking his hair soothingly.

"Where am I?"

"Hiei," his question went unanswered as she tipped his chin up, gazing down upon him once again. "You must hurry to the ice country. Kurama will urge you to return home, he will do anything to dissuade you, but you must complete your journey. Your path begins there, a path which will lead you to meet someone very important. This person will be a savior to the Demon World, and without your help, I fear he may not succeed in bringing a long awaited peace."

"I don't believe in saviors," said Hiei softly. As he spoke, feelings of panic and fear began creeping back inside him. The snowy landscape was beginning to grow dim. The pain in his arm had stealthily returned.

"You believe in me, Hiei, you always have," she said, clutching him to her and kissing his smooth face. "I love you... my only son... Stay true to the love you've kept locked up for so long, and you won't fail. You don't need to believe in anything else..."

"Who is this person, how will I know when I see him?" Hiei asked, clinging to her, though he felt her all the while slipping away.

"You'll know," she said, fading away more quickly than before.

"Mother, stop..."

"You'll know," said another voice, farther off. Hiei's gaze shot up just in time to catch a glimpse of a startlingly familiar expression. He stood grinning from far away, his hand outstretched, reaching across the limitless expanse towards Hiei's rapidly solidifying body.

"It's a sure thing!" he said. Three fingers curled towards his palm, leaving a rigid index finger aiming across the abyss. Hiei could nearly feel it touch him.... A hot spot seared right between his eyes as the figure laughed out, "Bang."

Hiei gasped suddenly, his chest ached, the jagged waves of pain shooting through his arm were nearly unbearable.

"Hiei, don't move!" Kurama said frantically.

The small demon gasped for air; it hurt so much to breathe... He had not been in this much pain since the implanting of his Jagan. Was it worse? Could anything be that agonizing? He wanted to scream, he desperately wanted to cry out but he could not form a sound.

From his fingertips to his shoulder, his arm trembled violently. Kurama leaned over him, his large hands moving in a frenzy. Hiei tried to focus, but he could not tell what was being done to him. He could only gaze upward, doing absolutely anything to block out the pain. He gripped at whatever was beneath him. Was it Kurama's cloak? A bed? He was not sure if they were inside or out. He looked at Kurama's face. The beautiful features were contorted with despair. Hiei wondered if the kitsune was crying. He squinted, trying to take in every little detail to occupy his mind.

Kurama's long white hair was tangled and whipped about. Strands stuck out all around his angular face. The pointed ears which rose from within the mane of hair were laid back against the fox's head. His yellow eyes gleamed down at Hiei with intense focus. His mouth hung open, revealing the impressive fangs within. The long, narrow nose above the parted lips seemed red, and wet. In fact, Hiei's face felt wet as well. So, Kurama was crying after all.

Hiei wondered if his mate's tears meant he was near death. He then wished for death, once the thought had entered his mind, for anything would have been better than this misery. He closed his eyes again, praying he would never awaken, and completely forgetting what the image of his mother had told him.

His eyes would not open again for a very long time, but the desperate fox remained by his side....

----

A bird was chirping not too far off when warm beams of sunlight tickled the sleeping face that was nestled in a warm, white cloak. Five small fingers which had been, until now, paralyzed and limp suddenly twitched to life. The hand on which they resided, coarse and calloused from many years of swordplay, moved against the material, and its owner began to stir.

Hiei blinked away sleep and instinctively nuzzled against the body he felt near him. He felt achy and sluggish, and could not remember exactly where he was. He knew, at least, that Kurama slept beside him, curled up protectively with his arm and tail draped across Hiei's torso. He rubbed his face against Kurama's broad chest, earning a sleepy moan from the kitsune as he regained consciousness.

His yellow eyes flickered open and were soon sharply awake when he noticed Hiei's movement.

"Hiei!" he cried out, pulling the little demon into a sitting position and caressing his cheeks. "You're awake, oh I'm so relieved..."

Hiei chased the last clouds of sleep from his head as Kurama pressed his lips tenderly to his face, coating every inch with kisses.

"I wondered when you would ever wake up..." he whispered, combing his claws through Hiei's hair and pulling him even closer.

"What happened...?" Hiei croaked. His throat felt dry and raw, he wondered how long it had been since he had last spoken.

"The poison leeched through your entire system before I could tie a tourniquet around your arm.... You were... in agony." Kurama seemed to cringe at the memory. "I attached a siphoning plant to the wound to draw out the poison, but the reaction was incredibly rapid and depleted most of your youki before the toxins could be removed. You were so weak, your body went comatose and didn't budge until just now."

"How long was I asleep?" he asked, looking around to realize Kurama had made a bed for them in a leafy thicket and covered Hiei's body in his robes. Once white, they were now stained and bloody.

"Three days..." he said quietly.

"You waited here all that time!?" Hiei exclaimed.

"I couldn't leave you! I didn't leave your side for a second. Hiei, I thought for sure you were going to die!" Kurama cried, clutching at Hiei's wrist and leaning close to him.

"It's not my time to die..."

"Well, it didn't seem that way a few nights ago! If you had been any weaker, you would have lost your youki completely and died right away."

"But I'm not weaker, am I? I'm here... for a reason."

"Hiei, what are you talking about?"

He concentrated and looked up into Kurama's pale face.

"I saw my mother... while I was unconscious, and... Yusuke."

"Yusuke?" Kurama responded, blinking in amazement.

"They spoke to me, and said we have something important to do."

"Hiei..." Kurama clutched him more tightly, causing his already sore body to be smothered. "Don't you see how close to death you were? You saw the other side..."

"So that's really what it was, it wasn't a dream," Hiei said, closing his eyes and losing himself in Kurama's firm embrace.

"I've been there often enough to know," Kurama's voice was soft and seemed to strain. "When Shuuichi's body died, Botan escorted me to the gates of Spirit World. Once there, Koenma informed me my spirit had been filled with enough vitality upon my death for Youko to be reborn. I was led away, and once the process had begun, I entered a limbo between worlds... It was a hazy, distorted place. I could feel myself, though I seemed to have no real form or substance. It was there that I met... my mother." Kurama's body quivered, "And my father..."

"Your human father?" Hiei asked, suddenly perking up and gazing at Kurama's face, which was pained with reminiscence.

"Yes, my real father..." he continued. Hiei nearly scoffed at this idea. After living over a millennia before them, he considered that man and woman his true parents. "They bid me off, and told me they loved me. My father said he had watched me grow up, he had seen everything. They knew, in death, what I really was, and loved me all the same. They said I would always be their son... and just as I began to leave that place, they said I would meet you again. My mother and father warned me not to hold a grudge against you, for you had been suffering even more than I had. Decades of loneliness were all you had known since your departure. I promised them, as they faded away, that I would forgive you... And now, here we are," he finished. Hiei was nestled deeply in his arms, confused as to how two human parents could show a demon like him such compassion.

"My mother was very fond of you, Hiei."

"I barely knew her," he mumbled, remembering the few times he had ventured inside Kurama's home so long ago.

"You barely knew your mother either, but you don't love her any less."

Hiei closed his eyes and sighed, the instructions Hina's phantom had provided were swimming thickly through his head once again. He knew they needed to hurry, but felt apprehensive and full of emotion he was not used to having this close to the surface.

----

"I told you, I need this medicine for my companion," Kurama said harshly, leaning over the counter.

"It's worth six hundred..." said the vendor from the other side, glaring back at him.

"And I'm paying you four hundred. Either you accept that price or I'll kill you right here," he growled from beneath his hood. His ears and tail were carefully concealed, only his shadowed face and glowing eyes were visible inside the darkened shop.

"You wouldn't dare. My allies will be on you within minutes if I die, you'd never make it out of this city alive," he said with a feigned confidence. Kurama was beginning to worry him.

"I can make it so you'll die whenever I wish.... We'll be miles from this place before you're even sure what's happening," Kurama crooned and leaned closer to the shop keeper, leering into the face of the small, wrinkled looking demon. "Do you want to die that way? All alone, living your last moments in fear... never knowing how or when the end will come...."

Kurama was inches from his face, now, and everything about the fox's voice told him this was not an empty threat. Hiei sat shrouded in his black cloaks, a hood over his face as well, and watched his mate from the corner. A day after he had awakened from his coma, he was back on his feet, though his body was still rattled by pain every so often. The medicine Kurama was currently obtaining was to clear the last of the toxins from Hiei's body that had become trapped in his bloodstream and were continually being cycled through his veins. Though Hiei had protested it as a waste of time, Kurama insisted the medicine was necessary.

"I'm glad you decided to see things my way," Kurama said, grinning, as he took the vial of medicine from the merchant and tossed a pouch of gold coins down on the counter, receiving a bitter glare in return. He nodded to Hiei and the two exited the shop together into the busy streets of Scythe City. They walked down the bright central market towards the other side of the city, finally resuming their journey to the fallen ice country.

"I told you I don't need any medicine," Hiei complained, even as another wave of pain washed over his small form.

"Say whatever you like Hiei, I can tell there is still poison filtering through you," Kurama said, tucking the tiny bottle into his sleeve.

"You baby me far too much, it's disgusting..." the demon replied, glaring down the road from within his dark hood.

"It's only fitting to baby one who acts as a baby would..." Kurama said nonchalantly, gazing directly ahead. Hiei narrowed his red eyes, leering up at the giant kitsune with complete and utter loathing. Kurama treating him like a child was by far the thing he detested most.

"Anyway," Kurama announced, quickening his pace. "We might want to hurry, as there is a gang of unfriendly looking Youkai trailing behind us, currently."

Hiei took one rapid glance behind them to see the mob forming down the street. It would seem the shopkeeper had made good on the threat to notify his friends and the group was gaining quickly.

"Let's go, then," Hiei remarked, taking off at a sprint with the white fox at his side. The moment they began to run, the gang of demons who had been following took off as well. They lumbered along, few were anything close to agile. Kurama and Hiei held back their full speed, teasing the hoard for a short time before vanishing into the forest.

A few hours later, the two sat nestled in the hollow of a gargantuan and ancient tree, gazing out over the countryside.

"Have any of them followed us?" Kurama inquired.

Hiei closed his glowing Jagan and replaced the ward on his forehead. "No, the last of them gave up about an hour ago. They've all returned to the city."

"Good then," Kurama relaxed against the inside of the tree, yawning. "Should we spend the night here, then? It looks like it's going to rain, soon."

"I suppose... Though we're losing a lot of time with you always resting," Hiei mumbled, situating himself opposite Kurama and getting comfortable.

"It's a nice tree, though, don't you think?" Kurama asked.

Hiei nodded as the fox summoned his youki and entinced a wave of foliage to grow in front of the opening, giving the pair some privacy and cover. Hiei removed his boots and outer robes and placed them neatly in the back of the hollow space. Kurama had been spreading his own huge robe down in the bottom of the hollow to create a bed for the two of them and was now running his claws through his hair and twitching his tail with agitation.

"Look what a mess I am, I really need to have a bath in the morning..." he complained, thinking back to the warm bathtubs he had always had handy as a human.

"We don't have time for baths! We could reach the ruins of the island by tomorrow night as long as you don't make us stop for anything else," Hiei growled. Kurama had forced him to drink the entire vial of medicine the moment they had found their hiding place, and his regained strength was now refueling his obsession with reaching the destroyed glacial village.

"You need one far more than I do. Tell me, did you ever take a bath before you met me, Hiei?" Kurama said wryly, laying his ears flat.

"Like I said, we don't have time. I don't need one anyway," he said, grumbling and lying back a bit.

"_You_ may not be able to smell your own odor, but I can, and I refuse to travel any further until you're clean."

"Hn, I wouldn't complain. You smell funny ALL the time. That fox musk of yours smells like a skunk," Hiei countered, glaring moodily through the leaves surrounding them.

Kurama narrowed his eyes dangerously. "I'm supposed to smell that way... If you were a female kitsune, you wouldn't be complaining."

"Do I _look_ like a female kitsune?"

Kurama scoffed, "Hardly, you're much too small, for one."

"That's it! I'm sleeping somewhere else!" Hiei roared as he pulled his boots on. "And don't even bother trying to find me!" he finished, turning back to give Kurama a dirty look before leaping from the tree and disappearing.

Kurama flicked his ear and stared out into the forest before sighing deeply and lying down to sleep.

A short time later, night had fallen. The strange insects of the Makai were chirping busily and the lights of Scythe City could be seen not too far off. Kurama stirred a bit in his sleep, rolling over to get into a more comfortable position, but as he did, he was stopped by a warm, breathing mass beside him. The fox smiled softly and settled back down.

There was Hiei, cuddled up under his tail, his hair still damp from being freshly washed. Kurama closed his eyes and held the small demon protectively, breathing in the smoky aroma of his clean body.

"That's more like it," he whispered, kissing Hiei's sleeping head and receiving a contented little moan in return. The two stayed huddled together, dreaming quietly until morning. They still had a long journey ahead of them.

----

"Damn it..." Hiei hissed, wriggling in place and attempting to free himself.

"Hiei," Kurama started, staring awkwardly at the spectacle before him.

"DON'T! If you even think of saying 'I told you so', I swear I'll slice your tail off," he threatened. Hiei, though, was currently in no position to make any threats. He hung several meters off the ground, dangling by his outer cloak, with thorns poking into his body from his shoulders to his back side.

"Well, I did tell you not to try and cut them..." Kurama said, closing his eyes and sighing with dismay.

"Right, now will you get me the hell out of this thing!?" demanded the little Youkai, flailing his feet, hoping he could somehow kick Kurama in the head. Try as he may, the thorn covered tree which he had recently attacked held onto him firmly.

The two had reached a very dense patch of forest, and though Kurama had suggested going around, Hiei had stubbornly pushed onward, insisting it was the quickest path. Coming upon a large and very jagged looking tree, however, Hiei found no convenient way through and had begun hacking apart branches to form an opening for himself. Many warnings were given by Kurama, but Hiei would not be swayed. After several minutes of being chopped apart, the tree had, very rightly, attacked the demon, and he was now tangled quite completely in its thorns.

"If you would hold still for a moment..." Kurama said, dodging Hiei's boot and approaching the base of the tree. He laid his long fingers on the trunk and stroked it soothingly as though it were some sort of adorable pet. Slowly, Hiei felt the branches begin unwinding and quivering, and soon fell, face first, into the forest floor.

"If it was that easy, why did you leave me up there so long?" he growled as Kurama approached him.

"It's not as though you didn't deserve it.... Now, bend over."

"What...."

"Get on all fours, I need to get the thorns out of your back or they'll drill their way into your skin before long," said the fox as he kneeled down beside Hiei. "I don't want to have to listen to you whine about it all night."

Anyone, _anyone_ else would have been out cold, by now. However, Hiei had no choice but to tolerate Kurama's remarks. He did need the fox to remove the thorns, after all...

The fire demon winced and felt his face heating up with embarrassment as Kurama lifted his tunic and lowered his pants, revealing his thorn covered back. Each tiny dagger had stabbed through Hiei's clothing with precision and all were now firmly rooted in his flesh.

"Brace yourself," Kurama warned, "It's going to be painful..." He squeezed the tips of his claws around a single thorn and swiftly plucked it from Hiei's skin. His ear perked, hearing a nearly inaudible gasp of pain, and knew Hiei was doing his best to hold in any reaction. This process continued for quite a while, and finally Kurama reached his mate's thorn riddled rear end.

"What a lovely view this would be if it weren't for all the puncture wounds," the fox noted, staring at his partner's muscular physique.

"Just get it over with! I'm tired of kneeling down like this..." Hiei grumbled, becoming bored on top of everything else.

"You're on all fours often enough, I thought you would be used to it, by now," said Kurama, smirking, as he pulled the last of the thorns from Hiei's body and got to his feet. The demon rebuckled his belts and stood, rubbing his bottom with both pain and annoyance. He then paused, looking up to see Kurama staring down at him with both bushy eyebrows raised.

"Shut up!" Hiei snapped, retrieving his sword which had fallen a short distance away.

"I didn't say anything," Kurama said, holding up his hands and blinking.

"For once..." Hiei growled, becoming more irritable all the while.

"Don't you like the sound of my voice anymore?" Kurama asked, following behind as Hiei resumed their course through the woods.

"It's annoying... Just like ALL of what you do," complained the little demon as he trudged through the thick brush. Kurama stayed at his heels, stepping nimbly and somehow avoiding even snagging his robes.

"Oh? You certainly don't seem annoyed by certain things I do... Especially those I'm doing to you."

Hiei whirled round and gave Kurama the darkest, most menacing glare he could muster.

"I love you, Hiei." The fox's lips strained not to curl up at the corners in amusement.

Hiei sighed with defeat and shook his head, marching forward in silence as they continued their journey. The fallen island laid less than a day's walk ahead of them now, and the half Koorime's stomach tightened at the thought of what they might find upon arrival.

Many hours later, Kurama and Hiei made a bed for themselves within a leafy thicket and laid down to rest for the night. Cuddled up within his partner's robes, Hiei's head was nestled comfortably on Kurama's broad chest. He stared up through the canopy, catching glimpses of stars, and wondered what they would discover once the destroyed ice country was finally before them. He had cycled hundreds of possibilities through his mind, each one growing more dismal than the one before.

"You're worried," Kurama said quietly. The strong, pale arm that surrounded Hiei pulled him closer as these words were spoken. He did not answer, but laid his tiny hand across the kitsune's clawed fingers.

"I wonder what it was like to die in such a way, never seeing your attacker," Hiei said, imagining the looks on the Koorime's faces as their world crumbled around them and enveloped their village.

"What makes you think they didn't see it coming?" the fox asked, glancing down at Hiei's form in his arms.

"I just know. Anyone despicable enough to demolish a country full of nothing but women and children wouldn't show his face beforehand." he replied, seething at the thought of it.

"Have you never killed women or children, Hiei?"

"Hn, I'm not like you. I've never killed anyone who wasn't asking for it," he said, clenching his teeth and glaring into the branches that surrounded them.

"I hesitate to believe that," came Kurama's smooth voice, and Hiei rose into a sitting position to sneer down at him.

"Don't doubt me just because you don't understand my logic," he scolded.

"I doubt you because you have no logic, Hiei. You're an illogical creature who has always gotten by on wit and bad attitude." Hiei's features gradually sunk further into a scowl as Kurama spoke. "But, that's something I've always liked about you." He raised his long claws up and delicately stroked them through Hiei's bushy hair. "The emotions you deny are the driving force behind everything you do. The fact that you are so emotional is what helps to remind me how much love you really have, even when you're being moody and difficult, as you are now."

Hiei rolled his eyes and stared down at Kurama with a softer expression.

"Sometimes I wonder why I love someone who's so full of himself...."

Kurama pulled his mate down on top of him and smiled into his impish face.

"My mother always said no one could resist loving a sweet boy like me," he crooned.

"Sweet and boy are not the first two words I would pick to describe you, fox," Hiei said, unable to suppress a tiny grin as Kurama rubbed his back.

"Oh? And what words would you use to describe me?" he asked, lightly kissing as his lover's neck.

"Manipulative and bastard come to mind," the demon replied, squirming at the wet kisses Kurama was planting on his skin.

"You're too kind."

Soon after, Hiei was sound asleep, nestled snugly against Kurama's chest. The fox stared down at his sleeping companion and sighed, hoping their arrival at the island would not damage Hiei's sensitive psyche and leave him more unmanageable than he already was.


	3. Chapter 3

_::NOTE:: In this chapter, the very first original character is introduced. In a fanfic that takes place so far into the future, I believe the presence of new characters is unavoidable. This character is female, but before you start crying Mary Sue, there will be **NO ROMANCE** between canon and original characters. I don't support it, in fact, I'm determined to make Hiei hate her as much as possible, since that's what I believe he would do._

Hiei shuddered as swift gusts of wind and ice nipped bitterly at his exposed face. The towers of stone and glacial chunks that rose up before him were completely still. There was no sign of life anywhere.

The small youkai had stood staring for many minutes, trying to comprehend the spectacle. He knew, beneath the frozen rubble, the corpses and dreams of all the Koorime women lay crushed, his own sister excluded. A sense of deep loss, unlike anything he had felt before, filled him. The house in which he had been born was now gone, along with everything that could have been his had he been born female. He wondered what that isolated life would have been like. Would he have been happier growing up with his own people? Or, was the troubled path he had been set upon truly his destiny.... He would not, for example, have ever met the majestic kitsune who now stood beside him, shivering against the cold and attempting to guard his face from flying shards of ice.

"Hiei," Kurama said, his voice drowned out by the severe wind, "I'm going to dig a burrow for us to sleep in. I can't stay out in this cold." Hiei nodded and sprinted off as Kurama pulled the mask of his hood over his mouth and nose, summoning a brutal looking plant which began to tunnel into the frozen ground.

The climate in the area had changed drastically and suddenly. Only a few hours run from the site was a sea of lush, warm forest through which the pair had been traveling for many nights. The land surrounding the island's base had once been forest as well, but now all that could be seen for dozens of miles was frozen wasteland. Not only the Koorime, but every living thing in the falling island's path had been obliterated.

Hiei sprang to one of the snowy peaks gracefully, staring down at the catastrophe beneath his feet. Hesitating, he knelt and moved a large stone, wondering what he would discover as he dug. Another snowy rock was revealed, and then another. His speed increased and he hurled away rubble for hours, until his hands were blistered and exhausted.

When night fell, Hiei descended from the mound and quickly discovered the burrow Kurama had created for them. A thick hide packed by the fox blocked the entrance, keeping out most of the snow. Hiei moved it aside quickly and slipped through the gap, finding the little den to be considerably warmer than the surface. Kurama was seated in the corner farthest from the entryway, chopping up a series of small plants and vegetables against a flat stone.

"I've been allowing a bowl of snow to melt into water," the fox said as he worked. "Could you boil it for me, please?"

Hiei did not respond, but tugged off his outer cloak and knelt down by the small bowl, laying his hands on the sides. His body temperature rose and the water began to bubble rapidly. Kurama took this as his queue to dump some of the items he had been cutting into the water and left them to simmer.

"I'm making a broth for us. There isn't anything nearby to kill, so I can't prepare any meat for you, I'm sorry," Kurama said, once the vegetables were cooking steadily within the earthen pot.

"I don't care," Hiei mumbled, settling down within the leafy patch Kurama had grown against the back wall of the burrow, which he assumed would be serving as their bed. The fox sat tentatively for a few minutes, eying his mate.

"Did you find anything?" he asked, finally.

"Nothing...." Hiei sighed and leaned against the wall, finding it was not uncomfortably cold. Kurama had dug deeply enough to penetrate the permafrost, and their own body heat had slowly warmed the space further.

"I plan to head back out as soon as the sun rises," he added firmly.

Kurama sighed and took his partner's tiny hands into his own.

"You're all bloody," he commented, staring down at the scraped and dirty fingers.

"Not like it matters," Hiei said, shrugging. Kurama used the hem of his robe to clean away the dirt before leaning down and licking carefully at the small wounds. "I can do that, you know..." he mumbled to Kurama.

"I would rather tend to you myself to make sure it's done properly," Kurama replied, pausing for a moment.

"I was taking care of my own wounds long before you came along, fox," Hiei said moodily.

"Yes, and you were in horrible shape when I met you. You fainted right before my eyes."

"That's because I had been attacked!" Hiei barked back, glaring at him angrily.

"Also, you ruined my bed sheets. Your wounds bled all over them. I had to throw them away, did I ever tell you that?" Kurama asked casually, massaging the demon's hands and releasing youki into the cuts to seal them.

"Tch, why would you remember something about a bed you haven't slept in for a hundred years?"

"I had many good dreams in that bed," Kurama said, smiling fondly. "And, you would sometimes sit there when you came to visit me. Do you remember?"

"I only visited you when I was extremely bored," Hiei replied, rolling his eyes.

"After you would leave, I would always wait until your youki was out of range before lying down in my bed to savor your scent..." Kurama continued, speaking more quietly than before. "I'd pull the covers against my face, breathing in deeply. Your essence would fill me up, and it was almost like you were right there with me."

"You don't find that the least bit perverse?" Hiei asked, raising his dark eyebrow.

"Not a bit," Kurama said, holding onto Hiei's hands in spite of having finished his healing. "It was only a way to satiate my lust, after all.... Sometimes, when we would fight, having you so close, your back pressing against mine, was like torture. The worst of all was during the Dark Tournament, when you shared my room. The one time you actually used your bed... I stayed up all night watching you. I laid there wondering what would happen if I came close enough to lay my hands on you, if I touched you, kissed you...."

Hiei allowed his frown to melt away, forgetting to scowl as he listened to Kurama's words. He knew, after being his lover for so long, how Kurama had pined for him when they were younger, but the kitsune did not speak of it often. Hearing stories such as this always filled Hiei with a sense of terrible remorse, and he wondered how Kurama had kept from going mad all the years they had been merely 'friends'.

"I don't... want to hear about it," he said quietly. Kurama's eyes rose and Hiei glanced towards the floor of the burrow.

"I understand," said the fox. "Please don't think I'm trying to blame you."

"No, it's not that," he muttered. "I don't want to hear about it, because... I'm here now. The past... is meaningless. All that matters is today." He felt his face heating up, as it did whenever he expressed his feelings. After five decades with Kurama, he still had not grown accustomed to showing his emotions openly. Perhaps he never would.

"Those are very wise words, Hiei," Kurama said, smiling sweetly at his lover. Hiei's lip twitched, and in a rare act of affection, he leaned close and placed a kiss on Kurama's mouth. The fox took this opportunity to throw his arms around his small partner and lower him onto his back. He kissed and nibbled at the side of his narrow neck, tugging the white muffler which resided there away with his claws.

"Hn, aren't you ever satisfied with a simple kiss?" Hiei growled, though the sound quickly turned to a satisfied groan as Kurama sucked at his neck passionately.

"After fifty years as my bed-mate, do you really need to ask a question like that?" he said, glancing slyly up at the little demon and licking his smooth skin.

Hiei clung desperately to his senses, giving the big fox a shove.

"I'm hungry!" he yelled, pushing Kurama away to no avail.

"Mm, so am I, my dear..." he crooned, nipping at Hiei's collar bone.

"No, I want something to eat, so get off me." He stared resolutely down at Kurama, who looked up to meet his gaze and sighed.

"I suppose we do need to start on that soup," Kurama said glumly as he climbed off of Hiei and began serving their small meal. "But don't think I'm going to let you get away that easily."

They ate heartily, cleaning the pot, but Kurama was unable to make good on his threat. By the time they had finished eating, Hiei had grown sleepy, and was now curled up in the soft leaves, rubbing his eyes.

Kurama, having accepted defeat, was gathering all their available coverings together and was piling them up as blankets. That, in addition to Hiei's warmth, was enough to create a comfortable sleeping arrangement. The cold world above them could barely be felt at all underneath the hot covers.

"I might have to travel tomorrow in search of food," Kurama said as Hiei blinked away sleep. "We weren't able to carry much from the forest."

"Do what you must," Hiei mumbled, yawning and clutching at the front of Kurama's tunic.

"I must ask... how long do you plan to stay here?" the fox asked. His voice was cautious and quiet.

"As long as it takes," Hiei said; his last words before drifting off to sleep against Kurama's chest. The kitsune stared into the darkness, thinking to himself. It would seem Hiei's determination had not wavered since the beginning of their journey. He would do everything he possibly could to retrieve his mother's body and find some sort of resolution. Kurama supposed it did not matter, as they had eternity to spend with each other. If surviving in this frozen emptiness was what it took to make Hiei happy, then that is what would be done.

Days passed, and each morning at sunrise, Hiei would exit their makeshift burrow and climb the mountain that had once been his birthplace. Today, he felt he had finally made some progress in his digging, as he had uncovered what appeared to be the smashed roof of a Koorime home.

Kurama was away, searching for food, and would not return until well into the night. This left Hiei completely alone, though his discovery had given him a new sense of purpose. Every small stone he hauled aside felt like a step in the right direction, while before, he had been doing nothing but losing himself in a sea of snow.

He plowed away at his task without complaint, no matter how unforgiving the strong wind around him was. Stone after stone was tossed aside, and soon Hiei was waist deep in the rubble. He bent down for what must have been the thousandth time that day and went to grab yet another stone, but as he did, his frozen fingers touched something unfamiliar. The little youkai crouched, staring. There was an object that was white like ice, but smooth and delicate. He dug more rocks from his path, clearing away the snow. Gusts of wind blew more white powder into the hole, hindering his work and blinding him momentarily. His tunic blocked the path of the wind as he shifted within the hole, and with one more stroke of his hand, he could see what he had been so busily uncovering.

It was a child. The frozen body of a tiny Koorime girl was at his feet, still partially buried. He could tell, now, sections of her legs and arms had been ripped clean away by the thousands of pounds of rock above her, but her face had somehow been spared. The child's expression was perfectly preserved, her youth frozen in time.

Hiei allowed his calloused fingertips to trace the outline of her cheek. Slowly, he examined her.... She seemed to be sleeping, he thought to himself as he stared. Her blue hair, so much like his sisters, rested in gentle curls around her face, providing a perfect framework for her innocent countenance.

The wind blew with a continuing fierceness as Hiei sat, drowning out the tinkling sounds of black gems that fell around the child's body.

When Kurama returned, the scene above their burrow seemed unchanged, at first. As he came closer, though, he spotted a long and jagged rock protruding from the snowy ground not far from the base of the rubble. The earth around it seemed recently disturbed, though the wind had masked any trace of footprints.

"Oh, Hiei..." the fox sighed deeply, staring at the crude and lonely memorial before entering the burrow.

He discovered Hiei inside, undressed save for his pants, curled up in the corner among the plushy foliage. Kurama hung the string of fish he had caught from a stone lodged in the wall and squatted down by Hiei, feeling the heat rising from his body.

The youkai was much hotter than usual, and deeply asleep. The fox draped the furry pelt he had been carrying across his mate before rising and situating himself beneath the entryway to the burrow. He set to work building a small fire, and then roasting the plump fish over the flames while Hiei slept.

Water on the fish's fleshed crackled and popped as they cooked, but Kurama's sensitive ears perked at every tiny sound emanating from Hiei in spite of the noise. He breathed heavily, and shifted in his sleep several times. Kurama observed these noises carefully, until finally he could tell the demon was beginning to awaken. Crawling over, he placed his clawed hand on Hiei's shoulder and gazed down at him until his eyelids parted.

"What do you want..." Hiei groaned when he came to and realized Kurama was hanging over him.

"We have a big supper tonight, you must be starved," he said as Hiei sat up slowly.

"I don't need anything," came his soft reply. The apathy in his voice instantly alerted Kurama to how much he had been affected by the day's discovery.

"So, was it her?" he asked, cautiously. He leaned close to his mate, laying his hands across Hiei's legs to show his support.

"No." Hiei glanced away from the fox.

"Who then?"

"A child," he mumbled.

Kurama's understanding expression flickered as Hiei seemed to shrink away from him.

"Ah, so that's it..." he whispered, closing his eyes and pulling the little youkai into his lap. "You must have known you would find other bodies," he said, and began to stroke the mass of fluffy black hair.

"I hadn't really thought about it," came a shy and uncharacteristically unguarded voice. "It was like seeing my little sister dead at my feet."

Kurama nearly winced at the bluntness of Hiei's words. He could feel through his mate's body language, his tone, just how badly he had been hurt inside.

"That child was not your sister," Kurama said. "Yukina is alive in the Ningenkai. I have never hear any information that would make me think otherwise."

"But she was someone's," he said softly, though clearly, "someone's child. She didn't deserve... to be crushed."

Kurama clutched Hiei firmly against him, wondering just what else had been crushed that day. It was then that he felt Hiei trembling within his arms, not with sadness, but with anger.

"Hiei...?"

"When we leave here, I'm going to find it," his voice was now low and dangerous, filled with hatred. "I'll find the creature that caused this destruction and tear it apart with my own hands. I won't be satisfied until it's experienced enough pain to make up for all the lives it took away, all the agony it caused..."

"Their agony, or yours?" Kurama asked calmly.

"It doesn't matter!" Hiei shouted, shooting up to his feet. "Don't try to pretend you're above acts of vengeance. You'd do exactly the same thing if it had happened to you!" He cast a fiery glare down at the fox, clenching his teeth together until his jaw ached.

Kurama stared, reading Hiei's expression, until he finally closed his eyes and smiled.

"I suppose you're right about that," he said, his lip twisting up wryly. "If anyone were to hurt you, I'd kill him a thousand times over...."

Days turned into weeks, and soon the moon had gone through a full cycle. Hiei's daily trips to the fallen island had become an obsession. He would often stay long into the night, skipping meals and all but ignoring Kurama. The space at the foot of the mound had quickly become a graveyard as Hiei solitarily and silently laid each dead Koorime he came across to rest.

The kitsune spent most of his time underground, occasionally venturing out to find food. Mostly though, he slept, or sat around moodily, wishing Hiei would hurry up and get over himself so they could return home to their own warm burrow. He had been completely understanding at first, compassionate, supportive. But, now that a month had passed, Kurama's patience was waning. He would not say so, however, lest he invoke the wrath of his temperamental mate. All Kurama could do was cook, and sit, and wait.

Stars had been showing for hours already when Hiei climbed down into the burrow for sleep and something to eat. It had been a particularly windy day, and as he sat himself before the tiny fire, he felt shards of ice melting from the surface of his clothing. He watched as droplets of water pooled on the earthy floor, turning it to mud.

Drawing the plate Kurama had prepared close to him, he let out a small sigh. He was exhausted, physically and emotionally. Had this journey been a waste? He was not sure if he had found anything here to bring him closure. The piles of dead bodies, none belonging to his mother, had only succeeded in fueling his frustration and wearing him out.

As he sank his teeth into a hunk of meat, flavored with roots and herbs collected by Kurama, he heard the kitsune roll over in his sleep. The thick fur he had acquired for their blanket was knocked to the floor, landing with a soft thump against the bottom of the cave. The fox rose, rubbing his eye; one ear was pressed back grumpily against his head.

"You finally decided to come find something to eat?" Kurama asked, though the answer was obvious. "You've been up there for two days."

"I lost track of time," Hiei grumbled, his mouth full of food.

"I doubt it," Kurama groaned, flopping back down unceremoniously and nuzzling his face against the warm fur before glowering at Hiei.

"Unless you have something to say, stop glaring at me," he commanded, spitting a bone against his plate.

"Hiei..." Kurama sighed deeply and crawled over to his partner. "I know the thought has crossed your mind, so I'll go ahead and say it: Don't you think it's time to give up?"

The kitsune was met with nothing but the sound of Hiei's noisy chewing.

"Your mother has been dead for a long time, Hiei, the body you're searching for is an empty shell. What difference does it make if you find her now, when her spirit has been at rest for decades?"

Hiei's ruby eyes flickered and turned to glare at the fox beside him.

"What makes you think she's at peace after what was done to her? She killed herself, you know."

Kurama ran his claws tenderly through Hiei's hair for a few seconds before his hand was knocked away.

"Your mother has nothing to cause her pain any longer. In spite of the odds being stacked heavily against him, her son grew up into a healthy, beautiful man. Before all this happened, you were safe, content, with a very attractive lover, I might add."

Hiei, who had been looking away, turned to stare angrily at Kurama once more.

"My life... has been full of nothing but emptiness..." he mumbled, a dark scowl plastered on his face.

Kurama smirked and forced the youkai into his lap. "Don't lie to me, child, I know you better than anyone alive, so using that sad story on me is pointless."

"I'm not a child!" he roared, halfheartedly shoving Kurama away, knowing it was futile.

"You're acting like one...." Kurama tipped his partner's face up until he had a clear view into the fiery eyes. They were burning with frustration and loathing, but also overflowing with helplessness....

"I know very well your life hasn't been easy," Kurama soothed, "but you have nothing to cry over anymore. You have a safe home, a challenging and rewarding hobby, all the time in the world to hone your skills, and a mate who is completely, utterly dedicated to you." The fox could feel Hiei's small body melting against his chest as he spoke. The little demon was quickly giving in, allowing his rocky exterior to crumble.

"Fate was kind to you after all, Hiei."

"What about my sister?" he said quietly, glancing up. "I haven't seen her in nearly a century. I abandoned her..."

"We'll see her again, when you're ready," Kurama said, bending down to kiss his lover's smooth cheek.

"I hardly deserve to see her again, after what I've done," Hiei replied, lowly.

"Enough sulking," Kurama scolded. "If you want to do something to relieve your frustration, why not make love to me?" The fox leaned in close, grinning widely. Hiei's sad expression instantly morphed into one of disgust.

"You bastard kitsune, all you want is sex!" he shouted, scrambling out of Kurama's lap and onto the hard floor.

"Oh Hiei, it's been weeks..." Kurama whined, grabbing the youkai and dragging him to the corner of the cave.

"Let go of me!" he snarled, glaring upwards as Kurama pinned him down.

"I think not. You've indulged yourself enough, Hiei, it's my turn now."

Kurama yanked Hiei's muffler from his neck and began kissing at his throat while he searched for the seam on the side of the little youkai's cloak. Hiei growled, pushing the flats of his hands against the heavy kitsune, but he would not budge. The dark, wet tunic was dragged off of his body and Kurama smiled down at him, taking hold of his pointed chin.

"Cut it out," he warned, trying to stare up at Kurama in the most threatening way possible.

"No."

Kurama leaned down and pressed his lips against Hiei's mouth, meeting with resistance at first. But, as he swirled his warm tongue around against the wind-chapped lips, their owner slowly began to succumb. Hiei eventually moved his gritted teeth apart and allowed Kurama entrance into his mouth, unable to deny the pleasure he knew he was soon to receive. Perhaps, for the night, it would be okay to forget.

The kitsune kissed him deeply, tenderly, letting Hiei give whatever cues he wanted and responding accordingly. Somehow, Kurama had managed to slip off his white tunic and now pressed his wide chest down against Hiei's bare body.

The demon groaned softly, moving his head away from the kisses.

"I wish you wouldn't pin me down like this all the time, you're so heavy..." he complained, though without his previous malice.

"Should I be insulted?" Kurama quipped, though he quickly moved aside. He rolled to his back, pulling Hiei's thin body on top of his own and caressing him softly. "Is that better?"

Hiei responded by relaxing against the kitsune's chest, reaching his small hands up to play with the long strands of silver hair. Compared to Kurama, who was nearly three times his size, Hiei resembled a tiny child. He let his mind wander as the fox massaged his back, wondering if he would have looked less awkward alongside Shuuichi, who, while tall, had been much closer to his own height and weight.

The Jagan master closed his eyes, allowing Kurama's attentive touches to lull him. As those soft hands stroked his aching muscles, the anguish of the past few days began to fade, at least temporarily. He allowed himself to think only of Kurama, and was just about to lower his head and touch his lips to his lover's eager mouth when an unceremonious thump disturbed him.

"What was that?" he said, suddenly tense and on guard.

"Just the wind, now come here..." Kurama snaked his arm around the back of Hiei's neck and was pulling him down for that kiss he had been waiting for when the small youkai jerked away.

"It wasn't the wind." Hiei shook Kurama off him and got to his feet, pulling his tunic back on. "There's something outside."

"An animal then... " Kurama offered, feeling very, very frustrated at this point. He glared as Hiei buckled his belts and unsheathed his sword, preparing to investigate.

"I don't smell any animal," he said warily, clenching his back teeth together and inching towards the opening of the burrow.

"Hiei, at this point I don't care if the ghost of Yusuke himself is outside." Kurama was on his feet as well now, clinging to Hiei and pulling him back towards the furs. Hiei, though, ignored, and merely shrugged off his partner's amorous advances. He readied his sword, prepared to fling the fur blocking the door aside and strike whatever had stuck upon them. Before he could act, Kurama's hand was on him again, this time gripping his wrist tightly.

"Stop!" the fox commanded, earning a wicked glare from Hiei as he spun around to respond. Kurama's face, however, was softened, though traces of annoyance could still be seen lining his features. "If you're determined to investigate, I'm coming with you."

A few moments later, the two emerged from the den, fully cloaked and ready to fight, if necessary. The waxing moon reflected intensely off the sheet of snow, creating the illusion of day. Hiei tensed, ready to attack, but much to their surprise, lying before them was not an animal, or a monster, but a woman, apparently unconscious or perhaps dead.

Hiei lowered his sword and stared curiously.

"A survivor?" Kurama suggested. Hiei, though, who had seen firsthand the striking resemblance between the members of his race could tell that his woman was not Koorime.

"No..." he knelt down, pulling the figure's hood from her head to reveal a mane of wavy brown hair and two large, pointed ears. A quiver of arrows and bow were strapped to her back, her wrists and hands were wrapped tightly with cloth bands, presumably to protect her slender fingers from the cold.

"She's alive," Hiei noted.

"Perhaps we should bring her inside and thaw her out," Kurama said, examining the woman's frigid body as well.

"Are you insane!?" Hiei cried suddenly and angrily. "You're really going to just drag her inside before we know who she is? She could have had something to do with that happened here, why would she be hanging around in the freezing cold if not?"

"Hiei, I hardly think someone with such an insignificant amount of youki could have been involved in this catastrophe. She doesn't pose any threat to us."

Hiei growled and turned his gaze back on the unconscious female. "I don't care, I'm going to find out who she is before we do anything."

He grabbed the woman by the robes around her neck and shook her several times before he raised his hand and began slapping her awake.

"Hiei!" Kurama shouted, yanking his lover's hands away and inadvertently allowing the woman to slump back into the snow. "Is that really necessary!?"

"She's waking up, isn't she?" Hiei roared, grabbing his sword again as the figure beside them began to stir.

She fidgeted slightly and winced before opening her round lids to reveal two icy white eyes. Kurama held Hiei back as the girl slowly regained her senses. However, he could not prevent the cautious demon from shouting,

"Who the hell are you!?"

She jumped, obviously startled, not having noticed two youkai kneeling in the snow only inches from her. Shakily, she pulled herself into a sitting position and stared. But, rather than being combative, or frightened, she seemed... awed. Her vacant looking eyes darted from one demon to the other, as though she were seeing something from a long forgotten dream suddenly materialized before her.

"It's you..." she said, in a hushed whisper. "I can't believe I finally found you..!" She brought her frozen fingers to her lips, her breath quickening in excitement.

"Do we... know you?" Kurama inquired.

"Who are you working for!?" Hiei added harshly, leaning towards her with his fist tensing threateningly around the hilt of his sword again. "Why are you following us!?"

"You..." she said, pointing at the two of them, "are the Untouchable Bandits." Her awed smile then spread into an ecstatic grin and she began to quiver. "And I..." her breath quickened once more, "I... am the first one to ever find you!" she shrieked, jumping to her feet in triumph.

Kurama stared up at her, stunned but interested. Hiei, who looked disgusted, was sure he had been mistaken in believing she was a threat, and was now convinced she was simply an idiot.

"I've been searching my whole life! They all said it couldn't be done, but I've done what no one else could do! I found the Untouchable Bandits!" she cried, beside herself with joy. "And now...! Now..."

But before the young youkai could finished, she collapsed on the ground in a heap.

Kurama and Hiei looked down at the once more unconscious form, their faces displaying expressions of wonder, and contempt, respectively.

"I guess we're bringing her inside after all," Kurama commented.

Hiei groaned and rolled his red eyes, accepting defeat.

"I hate you..."


End file.
